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The Validation of Violence in V for Vendetta Noah Mailloux College of the Holy Cross

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The Validation of Violence in V for Vendetta Noah Mailloux College of the Holy Cross The Criterion Volume 2019 Article 8 2019 Heroism, Terrorism, and the In-Between: The Validation of Violence in V for Vendetta Noah Mailloux College of the Holy Cross Follow this and additional works at: https://crossworks.holycross.edu/criterion Part of the Comparative Literature Commons, English Language and Literature Commons, and the Rhetoric and Composition Commons Recommended Citation Mailloux, Noah (2019) "Heroism, Terrorism, and the In-Between: The alV idation of Violence in V for Vendetta," The Criterion: Vol. 2019 , Article 8. Available at: https://crossworks.holycross.edu/criterion/vol2019/iss1/8 This Essay is brought to you for free and open access by CrossWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in The rC iterion by an authorized editor of CrossWorks. !70 Mailloux Heroism, Terrorism, and the In-Between Heroism, Terrorism, and the In-Between: The Validation of Violence in V for Vendetta Noah Mailloux College of the Holy Cross Class of 2020 “Remember, remember, the fifth of November. The gunpowder treason and plot. I know of no reason why the gunpowder treason… Should ever be forgot” (Moore 14). IN ALAN MOORE and David Lloyd’s V for Vendetta, a graphic novel made up of three installments, the titular character V dons a Guy Fawkes mask in celebration of a man who is historically known as a terrorist. Every fifth of November, British citizens remember the Gunpowder Treason Plot, where Fawkes was arrested for attempting to blow up the Houses of Parliament. At first glance, Fawkes can be seen as a man who intended harm; however, there is much debate to whether he should be considered a terrorist, or a rebellious hero. For a man who used premeditated violence as a means of resolution, V slips into the same recognizable guise, but is it for the same reasons? The choices one makes, and the judgements that they receive, is dependent on the environment from which they originate or currently reside in. V, though representative of a supposed extremist and violent in his behaviors, exemplifies the traits of a traditional hero rather than a terrorist. Guy Fawkes, the character model used for V’s character, is celebrated every November fifth in the United Kingdom, although the holiday’s purpose is debated. While some may honor the man, who was committed to his unyielding belief in revolution, others see the day as one to celebrate the failure in a terrorist’s actions. The divide, though weakened over time with those favoring the side of the former, still creates a dichotomy of how Fawkes should be recognized. This is a question that arises within V for Vendetta, as we support the protagonist of a man who embodies the ideals of !71 Mailloux Heroism, Terrorism, and the In-Between revolutionary change through his Fawkes costume and violent actions. In the context of the world in which these people live, V’s purpose of using forceful engagement against his enemies is justifiable. Norsefire, the dystopian government that rules over the United Kingdom in the world of V for Vendetta, exhibits violent actions of their own that requires the retaliation of V’s character. Themes of prostitution, rape, and physical attacks introduce us to the world in the first couple of pages of the graphic novel. Deborah Bell, author of the book Masquerade: Essays on Tradition and Innovation Worldwide describes that the fictional government, “resonates with images of Nazi Germany. Anyone who deviates racially, ethnically, or sexually from the Norsefire norm is placed in prison or a concentration camp-style facility” (168). Evey Hammond, one of the protagonist’s and later the successor to the mantle of V, prostitutes her sixteen-year-old body unknowingly to an undercover “Fingerman,” a brutalized version of a police officer. This encounter evolves into attempted rape, before V gets involved causing the murder of several Fingermen. The sequence of these events happens consecutively and over the course of five pages, setting the tone and attitude that Moore and Lloyd’s characters have against violence. Violence is to be expected in this society as one of the Fingermen states, “You’ll do anything we want and then we’ll kill you. That’s our prerogative” (Moore 11). This privilege of doing whatever they please is a right only exclusive to those with power in this society, and it is obviously abused if these characters seek to take advantage of a young girl. The plot of V for Vendetta mirrors Guy Fawkes’ world not only through setting, but through idealistic principles, bringing elements of what Fawkes’ believed in to a more contemporary world. This fictional world reflects a British historical backdrop that Moore alludes to constantly. The former prime minister of the UK, Margaret Thatcher was disliked: “aggressive authoritarianism and populist nationalism were the elements of Thatcherism from which many on the Left drew parallels with fascism” (Gray 37). The graphic novel is a critique on conservatism and their influence on government, depicting the obvious misuse of power and maltreatment of citizens. To be titled a hero implies opposition, and therefore V should be considered a hero because he is opposed to the illustrated antagonistic government. Although, V recognizes his role as a hero differently than one would expect. !72 Mailloux Heroism, Terrorism, and the In-Between Figure 1. Alan Moore, David Lloyd, V for Vendetta p. 10, panel 5 The first chapter in the graphic novel is titled, “The Villain,” however this does not imply that the protagonist, V, is a villain. The first page of the novel begins with scene-to-scene panels, portraying various locations of the Norsefire occupied Great Britain. Every panel, however is connected through the radio dialogue of “The Voice of Fate,” which is a news-type outlet for Norsefire. Besides this, there is no other spoken dialogue until after the title chapter is introduced. The chapter text box appears in the fifth panel of page ten, along with a full-person view of V in costume (figure 1). This panel should imply that V is the villain, as he is the only character in view, however by contrast, Moore and Lloyd are trying to push that the Voice of Fate, or the Norsefire government in general is the villain of the story. This subliminal push becomes more apparent in the chapter through the interactions of direct government officials, as V does not attack without reason, unlike those who have positions of power within Norsefire. Consequently, we can deduce that Norsefire is the named villain of this chapter and the villain in the larger scheme of the story. At a more detailed look, however, we also observe V’s appearance through a mirror, implying that the reader has taken perspective through V’s eyes. This change in perspective makes us compliant to V’s actions, as we are invited into his viewpoint in an opportunity to understand him and his motives better. If Moore is not insinuating that the Voice of Fate is the villain, then he is suggesting that we are yielding to the actions of V, no !73 Mailloux Heroism, Terrorism, and the In-Between matter how violent. This suggestion is the epitome of Evey’s role at the beginning of the graphic novel, as she innocently plays along with V until it becomes too much for her. Despite the overwhelming situations she encounters, she eventually learns to accept her role as partner to V, just like the reader must do in order to recognize the place V is coming from. We are as much of V in this story as V is himself, and though the insinuation that the Voice of Fate is the villain from the get-go is convincing, our involvement in V’s “villainy” is implied. Figure 2. Alan Moore, David Lloyd, V for Vendetta p. 13, panel 8 Despite the hidden detail of who the true villain may be, we are thrown off the scent because V introduces himself as a villain to Evey. He says to her in the eighth panel, “Me? I’m the king of the twentieth century. I’m the boogeyman. The villain… The black sheep of the family” (Moore 13, fig. 2). The self-described villain, however, does this in an ironic sense. !74 Mailloux Heroism, Terrorism, and the In-Between He has recognizably saved Evey from a villainous situation, yet still titles himself as a villain. Synonyms for “villain” include “criminal” or more notably, “lawbreaker” which is a title deserving of V. Though negatively connotated, V is a lawbreaker in a land where law is without reason. The laws that Norsefire has put forth are tyrannical and regime-like, therefore V acknowledges how he is a “villain” in an untraditional sense. Due to this backwards logic of being a villain in a villainous society, similar to a negative cancelling out a negative, V is in a sense calling himself a hero. Without the accompaniment of the title “…The black sheep of the family” (Moore 13), this insinuation would be less clear, as V states he is the odd one out in this world. Therefore, we can now consider our involvement as readers as an act of heroism rather than villainy, as we can support the man in insurrectionary violence in a world that requires such action. One of the more depraved events in the graphic novel is the government’s involvement of concentration camps, specifically the camp located near Larkhill, England. This is the same camp that created who V is today. The first book in V for Vendetta, Europe After the Reign focuses on V’s personal vendetta against those that did him wrong.
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